


It's Been a While, I Might Have Missed You

by MoreAdventurous16



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: AU, Adulthood, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Best Friends, Eventual Smut, F/F, Female Friendship, Flashbacks, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Meh, Slow Build, Slow Burn, i've had this on my mind forever, no magic, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:15:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25891174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoreAdventurous16/pseuds/MoreAdventurous16
Summary: Kady is just out of rehab. Her mom just died. Her dad just came back into her life and she's back in her old room again. And Julia is still the girl who lives next door who she's had a crush on for years.ORKady and Julia are basically soulmates but it's taking them forever to figure their shit out.
Relationships: Kady Orloff-Diaz/Julia Wicker
Comments: 8
Kudos: 12





	1. Re-Start and Reflect

**Author's Note:**

> Bear with me. I've written a good chunk of this, I'm still going over the most recent bits that I'll post soon as later chapters. This was one of my first fic ideas but the second one I started writing. It's a little deeper and a bit more of a slow burn, but with some flashbacks I've been having fun with. Still deciding if I'm going to spice it up with some sexy times, perhaps later on. I mean, who am I kidding, definitely later on. 
> 
> I personally hate slow burns but here we are.
> 
> I often catch myself thinking about friends I had when I was younger, who I only saw a few times or during certain circumstances but they still had a big impact on me. And I wonder what would happen if we reconnected, either via a tragedy or just happenstance. But then I re-watched the whole series last month and got major vibes from these two throughout, so I couldn't help but turn this into something. Enjoy!

Kady lives at her dad’s house now. It’s new, and she’s not sure if she likes it. Although it’s not like she has a choice. 

She lived at her dad’s place during the summers when she was little, up until she was 16. Then her mom got caught up with some guy who she moved across the country for, and she took Kady with her. No more summers at dad’s when he’s that far away. Kady didn’t have much of a choice then, either. That was 6 years ago.

Her mom died in a car accident, apparently. Kady was at work when it happened. They hadn’t been particularly close by this point. Kady was too independent and her mom was too restricting, sucking the energy out of Kady whenever they were around each other for too long. She reacted badly to her death, regardless - that was 4 months ago. Her dad went to the funeral and Kady didn’t ever show up. She turned up two weeks later at her mom’s place, high. Her step-dad put her into rehab and her dad came to pick her up when she was released, and now she was unpacking her two suitcases of meaningless stuff she bothered to bring along. It still didn’t feel real enough to be permanent yet, so it didn’t seem like what she had mattered.

“How do you like the room?” her dad asked her from the doorway. 

“It’s the same room as it was before, I guess,” Kady said. Her old room was smaller than she remembered, but she could work with it. It was a cute attic type, a slanted ceiling on one side, a window that looked out over the house next door.

“Well feel free to make it your own,” he said. He was trying to be supportive, she knew that. But they didn’t really know each other anymore. “If you wanna paint a wall, or change the curtains or whatever...Yeah.”

He was awkward. But he was trying.

“Thanks. I’ll let you know.”

He nodded and smiled at her, then let her be and went downstairs.

Kady put her clothes into old drawers she barely remembered, hung her jackets in the mostly empty closet. She sat down in the big, comfy chair by the window. It was kind of comfy. Again, not like how she remembered. 

She looked out over the neighbors yard and wondered if the same people lived there. If _she_ still lived there. Kady hadn’t thought about Julia for a long time. It took a long time to push her out of her head, but subconsciously she was always there.

Julia and Kady spent a decent amount of time together during summers as kids and then teenagers. Julia went off to some fancy summer camp in Maine for a few weeks out of the season, but when she was home, she was with Kady. Kady hadn’t had a friend that close since. Sure, they were kids, they knew shit all about real life and had dreams that hadn’t been crushed to nothing yet. And really, it was only six short years since they last saw each other. Or spoke. But six years can be a lot of years when you haven’t lived very many years yet. 

___

Kady was eating a bowl of cereal that evening in the kitchen. She was leaning up against the counter, when she heard her dad’s voice outside, talking with someone. A few minutes later he came inside and walked into the kitchen, taking off his coat. It was the end of fall, and it was getting colder when the sun went down. No snow yet, though. 

“Hey,” he said, the very sound of his deep fatherly voice comforting her immediately. “Dinner?” he asked, pointing to the bowl in her hands. She nodded and kept eating. 

“I was just talking to the Wickers next door,” he started, and Kady suddenly stopped mid-spoonful. So they did still live there. He was pouring himself his own bowl, too distracted to notice her cereal spoon pause halfway to her mouth. “Julia’s got a class tonight, but her dad said she knows you're back. I told him a few days ago you were coming, before I picked you up. He said she’s-”

“Why the hell are you talking to people about my business?”

He paused for second in thought. Kady didn't know why she reacted like that, it was just an instinct. A weird, new, defensive one she herself was still unfamiliar with.

“I only told him you were moving back in for a bit while you figured some stuff out," he said calmly. "No business exchange of any kind.” He picked up his bowl of sugary cereal and sat down at the table, and gave her a look that made her feel like an asshole. It was a soft look of concern from a father. She forgot how calm he was. How easily he handled things. She forgot she didn’t have to have her defenses up all the time. She was working on it.

“K, well. I just don’t really need extra people to worry about and be burdened with right now.”

“Okay,” he said, chewing a bite. “I don’t know that you ever considered Julia much of a burden, though.” 

He gave her another pointed, knowing look. _Shit, did he know?_ Kady swore the walls in this house could talk, and she knew her dad would listen to every word. He was a wise man, and a good listener. Or just smart, thanks to his own mistakes he made earlier in life. Her mother being one of those. Her mom never treated him kindly. Kady didn’t remember when her parents were together for the first few years of her life, but he always went above and beyond for her. She knew she herself wasn’t a mistake, but she felt like it sometimes, and she forgot how it was to actually be genuinely loved. Just like so many things she’s forgotten the last few years. 

___

  
  
  


**Thirteen Years Ago**

Julia and Kady became friends when they were nine. It was Kady’s second summer at her dad’s and the same year the Wickers moved in next door. Kady watched them through her bedroom window: a big truck pulled up, hired movers doing all the grunt work, while two girls and their parents wandered around the house and yard. The older girl didn’t interest Kady; she looked mean, and too old to realistically be friends with. Then she saw the younger girl sit down on the steps and pull out a book. She just sat there and read while all this moving was happening around her. Kady was intrigued.

The girl with the book looked up after a few minutes and looked around, as though she could feel Kady looking at her from the window up above next door. She turned and saw Kady looking out at her curiously. Julia looked back. Not annoyed, not perturbed in any way. She waved at the girl in the window. Kady slowly waved back. They both smiled. 

  
  


**Eight Years Ago**

Julia was waiting impatiently on Kady’s dad’s front porch when they drove up to the house the first time that summer. Kady jumped out of the car to hurry and see her- they had so much to talk about- not that they hadn’t talked almost every weekend throughout that year. Middle school was full of so much drama, and they wished they could go to school together, but talking about dumb boys and stupid homework over the phone barely got them through it. 

Julia stayed over that night, and they talked and giggled and told stories until the early hours of the morning. 

“Okay, but think about it,” Julia was explaining. “High school is going to be so much better. Older kids, cooler classes, better books-”

“Dude, you’re such a fucking nerd,” Kady laughed. She’d started swearing a lot more that year, mostly thanks to her mom’s new boyfriend of the month. He wasn’t a terrible guy, but he had a terrible mouth on him. Julia could talk about pretty much anything with ease, but Kady was pretty sure she’d never heard her say a curse word. 

“Kady!”

“What? You aaare. All your thinking about is the _school_ part of school. What about the other stuff? The experiences and extra freedoms. The life-type shit.”

“I’m not an idiot, I know there’s more to life than books and smarts.” Julia seemed hurt and Kady immediately tried to backpedal. She turned on her side to face Julia on their makeshift fort on her bedroom floor, and looked at her with a serious face.

“I know you’re not an idiot. I’d never call you that. You’re the smartest, coolest person I’ve ever met.”

Julia tried not to smile, but failed almost instantly.

“But you are also a total nerd,” Kady finished.

“Hey!” Julia slapped her on the arm and they laughed each other to sleep.

Later that summer they were sitting under the big tree in Julia’s backyard. It was full of leaves and they loved to lay under its shade on days when it was too warm to be inside but too hot to do much of anything else. Julia was propped up reading a book, and Kady would randomly interject her reading and ask questions or mention random curiosities that popped into her mind. Kady was curious and bold. Julia was interested in _everything_ and confident. Same-same, but different. 

Kady had a pensive look on her face and Julia noticed, so she put down her book to stare at her and wait for an inevitable question coming her way. But nothing came after a few minutes. Julia liked looking at Kady, the shadows of leaves falling over her and small rays of sunlight shining through the cracks. 

“What’s on your mind?” Julia finally asked. 

Kady startled, suddenly aware she was being watched. She sat up halfway, leaning back on her elbows, looking like she didn’t know what to say.

“Have you had your first kiss?” Kady asked. Julia nodded. 

“Yeah. It was weird. I don't think he was very good at it.”

“Huh. Okay.”

“Have- have you?” They usually talked about everything with ease, but they hadn’t hit this milestone yet. Puberty in general was new to both of them, but not unfamiliar. But kissing and the more intimate stuff hadn’t been touched on.

Kady made a face like she took a bite of food she wasn’t sure about.

“No. I don’t think I want to? Like, not yet. I do, but I also don’t want to just kiss anyone, you know? Every guy I like turns out to be the biggest douche bag once he opens his mouth. And that makes me not want to do anything with them, let alone make out.”

Julia nodded understandingly. Then a thought came to her.

“What about girls?” she said.

“What about them?”

“Do you like any of them? I feel like girls have to try harder than guys to be douche bags. Maybe kiss one of them.”

Kady stared at her with an eyebrow raised. 

“What?” Julia said. “You won’t know until you try it. I guess. Just an idea.”

“Huh. Yeah all right, kind of makes sense.”

She laid back down and Julia picked her book back up and started reading.

___

**Six Years Ago**

It was Kady’s last summer with her dad, but she didn’t know that yet.

Julia was at camp when she arrived that year. She’d gotten a job as a youth counselor so she had to stay another week longer than usual. Kady spent that week texting this guy too much who she went to school with. Penny. He was a douche bag, too, but a sweet one. They made out a little at some end of the school year party they were both at, but she didn’t really care about him a lot. She was just keeping busy.

Kady was playing her piano keyboard in her room with her headphones on when Julia got home. She raced over to Kady’s and up the stairs to her room. Kady didn’t hear her come in, so Julia stood there and leaned against the door frame, watching her friend concentrate on her music and playing notes that Julia couldn’t hear. Her curly hair was pulled up in a messy bun to keep out of the way of the headphones, and Julia smiled because she loved Kady’s hair. But she never wore it up, so it was something to smile about. 

Julia crossed the room and sat down on the small bench next to Kady, scaring the shit out of her.

“Jesus H. Christ!” she yelled, jumping at the presence of another person. A huge smile crossed her face once she saw who it was. She laughed, a little out of breath, and hugged her friend sitting there. “What the fuck, Jules, don’t do that shit to me ever again.”

“And miss an opportunity to see that face you just made?” Julia laughed, holding her best friend after too long apart. That year had seemed longer than the past ones. “I will absolutely be doing that again.”

They ended up talking into the afternoon and evening that day, and nearly everyday after, for weeks. But this summer was different. Julia had other friends she was hanging out with, people Kady had heard about but never met. Quentin, Julia’s closest friend from school for the last few years. Alice, Quentin’s on again off again girlfriend. Josh, the fun loving class clown of the group. Eliot and Margo, a respectable best friendship comparable to Kady and Julia, but with more...everything. Sometimes too much.

A month into summer Julia invited her to come to a party at Margo’s place. Her dad was some city big wig, and they lived in this wildly lavish house up in the hills. And her dad went out of town all the time, taking her mom with him every so often. This was one such occasion. 

Kady had met Quentin and Alice a couple of times each so far, but not the rest of Julia’s little group.

They walked into what Kady would call a mansion-esque home. She didn’t know how many rooms qualified as a mansion, but she figured this was close enough. Margo popped out of nowhere to greet them after Julia just walked in like she’d been there a million times before, and Kady felt bothered by that for some reason. No reason. 

“Welcome to the best gathering of individuals you’ll attend this summer break!” Margo practically yelled at them, drink in hand, followed closely by a tall young man with short, dark wavy hair. He looked exceptionally well dressed for a 16 year old. He was also holding four shot glasses filled to the brim, two in each hand.

“Good god, did you two come here completely sober?” Margo asked. “El, hand these ladies their welcome shots, quickly.”

Eliot swooped in, smoothly handing off a shot to Julia and Kady, extending a third to Margo and holding his own high above their heads.

“A toast!” he said. “A toast to my dear _Hoolia_ , and her gorgeous friend who I’ve yet to meet-” he lowered the shot briefly and turned to Kady. “And you are?”

“This is Kady, she comes to town every summer to stay with her-” Julia started, but was quickly cut off by a re-raised shot.

“To Kady!” Eliot shouted this time. “The curly haired goddess of yore, and Hoolia, the stunning little delight of a human.” Margo cleared her throat loudly. “And to my sweet, sweet Bambi, may she always throw the greatest soirees while her parents fly to Japan.”

Kady side eyed Julia and she shrugged her shoulders and raised the shot in her hand. The others did the same. And off they went.


	2. More of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feels from now, and then. We meet some folks and party hard in a flashback. A little background as to why the two of them have such an intense connection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It kind of got away from me, but I was having a lot of fun writing this bit, so I went with it.

Present Day

She’d gotten rid of her phone when she entered rehab- Penny kept calling and she did _not_ want to hear his voice ever again. It was his fault she was in this mess in the first place. He was the one who she counted on but never should have. She counted on him for sex first, then drugs, then sex again, then what she thought was supposed to be love. Then all of the above. She canceled her number and bought a prepaid flip phone the day her dad picked her up from that damn place. 

It wasn’t bad, rehab. It wasn’t great either. But she was self aware enough to know it was what she needed to do to get through all the bullshit that had been thrown at her the last few years. Moving constantly, her financially incompetent mom and step-dad, fucking Penny, and  _ fucking  _ Penny. She finally moved out two years years ago, but ended up just partying whenever she wasn’t working at the bar. That was her life for too long, and she was so tired. 

She sat in her new old room on the floor against the bed. She was bored. She’d look for work next week once she’d settled in, that was the plan her and her dad and her rehab therapist made. But she needed something to do  _ now _ . She opened the closet and pulled out the single box that was shoved in the back, moving it over to where she sat back down on the floor. 

On top was a small stack of sheet music. She’d stopped playing when her mom sold her keyboard without telling Kady, because she was broke. That’s when she moved out. By the time she had a job and enough money to get a new one of equal quality, Penny was back in her life, fucking it up royally. 

She knew it wasn’t all on him; everyone makes their own choices. She was just given a lot of really shitty options to choose from. 

She flipped through the pages of loose music sheets, remembering bits and pieces of what she saw. A small inkling of pain rose up inside her, and she felt her eyes tearing up. This wasn’t totally new; she’d finally opened up in group therapy during her last two weeks, and cried a few times in front of people she barely knew. But they were also some of the only people in the world who probably knew her the best. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and shoved the little pain back down anyway.

In the box, there was also an old softball and the glove her dad gave her when she was thirteen. A little snug, but still technically fit. She laughed at herself, taking the mitt off and tossing it and the ball back into the box on top of some old books she'd probably never read. 

“What’s so funny, not into sports much anymore?” said a soothingly familiar voice from the doorway. Julia was standing there, smiling down at her knowingly. “If I remember correctly, you literally ran circles around the boys you’d play with at the park back in the day.”

Kady didn’t respond, she just stared at the girl- the woman standing at the door. Comfortably.

Julia moved into the room and sat down on the floor next to her, but not too close. Too far, if anything. Kady still felt her energy near her, like the full moon in the middle of a clear night. 

Kady still didn’t say anything. They sat there in a weird silence for what felt like days. Julia smelled sweet, but also with a hint of something like sage. Kady dared to look over at her and Julia was looking down at her hands in her lap. Breaking the torturous quiet, they both spoke at once.

“I’m sorry.”

“I missed you.”

Julia looked up at her, and into her.

“Sorry?” Julia said. “For what?” 

Kady sighed into the bed she was leaning against, wanting to sink into it and disappear.

“For-” she started, not knowing how to even begin. It wasn’t like she’d never thought about this moment, about how it could play out. “For being a total dick and ignoring you when I shouldn’t have. For choosing other stupid fucking things and people to be priorities in my life when I should’ve just- I shouldn’t have left you behind like I did. And I’m sorry.”

That was more than she meant to say, but there it was. Kady knew she’d forgotten her past on purpose. Shoved it away, like a box in a closet filled with sheet music she desperately wanted to play again. She turned away from Julia and faced forward again, breaking the magical eye contact. It came back so easily. So comfortably. 

“You don’t have to be sorry for shit that happened when we were kids, Kady.” Julia gently reached for her hand but Kady moved to stand up.

“Actually I do, It’s kind of part of the program I just came from,” she said, looking anywhere in the room but at Julia.

A look of realization appeared on Julia’s face after a moment. “Oh,” she said. 

Kady crossed the room and sat down on the comfy chair, pulling her legs up into herself and wrapping up in her own arms. Shielded. Julia felt it. 

“Yep,” said Kady. “Turns out showing vulnerability and apologizing for being an asshole to people is a pretty big portion of the whole rehabilitation thing.” She was looking at Julia again, and her soft eyes told Kady she didn’t need to keep talking. She knew Julia understood, she always had. She was the smartest person she knew. Even after all this time.

“Okay,” Julia said hesitantly. “Can I come sit with you now?”

Kady subtly nodded after a few seconds of contemplating the ease in which Julia  _ got  _ her, without expectation, without want of anything in return. 

Kady felt comfortable pressed up against her, the two of them sitting in a chair more than big enough for one, crowded for two. But she felt calm. She closed her eyes when Julia settled into the old chair and the two of them almost fell back in time. Kady leaned her head on Julia’s shoulder, into her warmth nearly completely. Julia put an arm around her and moved her fingers lightly up and down Kady’s arm reassuringly.

“I missed you,” she said to her again.

  
  


___

Six Years Ago

Kady was five shots deep- she didn’t see how many Julia had, but they were both drunk. She knew her own limits (and she hadn’t hit them quite yet) but the two of them had never actually partied together before. She didn’t want to be the asshole friend who didn’t look out for her girl. Her friend. 

They were dancing to loud music coming from somewhere Kady couldn’t see. It wasn’t a rager or anything, but bigger than a casual kickback. Super chill vibes and decent people. A small group was playing Rage Cage at the huge dining table with a bunch of red cups. A few people were talking closely on the couch in the other room. Josh and Quentin were in the kitchen arguing over whether dragons might drink that one cinnamon liquor with the gold flakes in it or just enjoy a really expensive bourbon. But Kady didn’t notice any of that because she and Julia were dancing. 

There were probably ten other people around them, but it was like they both were magnets, pulling at each other. Julia was swaying gracefully, eyes closed and a euphoric smile spread across her face. Kady watched her as she moved slightly less gracefully, though not without some charm, moving her hands around as though there were a magic light coming from the tips of her fingers. She was  _ drunk _ . But like, the good kind, before the room spins, and all you’re feeling is warm bliss. 

It took her a minute before she realized Julia was looking back at her. Kady had been basically scanning over Julia’s body appreciatively. She knew she was attracted to girls. Julia knew before she did - if it hadn’t been for Julia’s suggestion years previously, she would never have even tried to kiss a girl. But she did. And she liked it.

Julia was staring at her with alluring eyes. Kady held her gaze through the end of whatever song was playing, then Julia looked away as though snapping out of a trance. She looked back at Kady and said, “water?” motioning toward the kitchen.

They grabbed a couple of water bottles and headed outside to get air. 

The yard was pretty big: a large patio area and a beautiful pool, lit up blue in the dark of the night surrounding it. A few people were swimming and chatting in the water. A table of people sat a little ways off, over on the far side of the pool. Eliot stood up and motioned for them to come join.

“Julia! Julia’s friend! Come!,” he shouted merrily, giggling a bit as he sat back down next to Margo. 

Kady made a face.

“He really doesn’t remember my name, already?” she asked Julia as they walked over.

“El’s in a weird place right now. He’s probably been drinking all day, I’m surprised he knows who I am. I wouldn’t take it personally.”

That no-reason-to-be-jealous-of-Julia’s-friends bit of nagging popped back into Kady’s head.

Alice and another girl named Fen were also sitting there, and some frat boy looking version of Eliot named Todd. There was a glass bottle in the middle of the table, empty, laying on it’s side.

“Buckle up bitches,” Margo said. “Time to make out or get out. You in?”

Julia laughed, then put on a more straight face. “Wait for real? We’re playing spin the bottle?”

“Don’t fuck with a classic, sweety,” Margo replied.

Julia glanced over at Kady and gave her a  _ might as well join ‘em  _ shrug as she sat down. Kady was surprised by Julia’s boldness, but also still very tipsy and down for pretty much anything at this point in the night. She took an empty seat next to Eliot. He looked at her seriously, then his eyes got wide for a second and he said, “Kady!”

“Yes?” she countered.

“Oh, I just remembered your name.” He turned back to the table as though he hadn't said anything. Kady smiled to herself and paid attention to Margo going over rules, her jealousy lifting away from her.

“Okay, this is child’s play but also don’t fuck it up,” she said. “If it’s your turn, you spin, kiss whoever it lands on. First time, peck on the lips. If you get the same person a second time, tongue gets involved. Third time, y’all better get handsy or I’ll push you into the pool. Turns will go in order around the table. Who’s first?”

“What if there’s a fourth time?” Todd asked.

“If someone’s lucky enough to get that far, they better snag one of the spare rooms upstairs, you got me?” Margo said to the table. Everyone muttered in agreement.

Kady looked around, not even sure she had met all the people here yet. Alice looked the most nervous out of everyone, and Margo took notice.

“Alice, babe, you and Q broke up a month ago, and even if you hadn’t, this is just for fun and I’d make you play anyway.”

On queue, Josh and Quentin happened to walk out the backdoor right at that moment. Margo clapped her hand in excitement and got up to pull in a few more chairs around the table.

“Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” she said. 

The boys sat down and Quentin pulled out a deck of cards - everyone was to draw one to see who got the highest. That person would go first.

___

Alice drew the Ace of Hearts, and the only Ace drawn at the table. She tried to argue that it could really be the card of  _ least  _ value, but Margo wasn’t having any of that. 

Kady was enjoying watching people's faces react - Fen and Todd just looked happy to be there; Eliot was still somehow holding a full drink despite the fact that he was constantly sipping at it; Josh was a little  _ too  _ excited; Alice and Quentin both looked a little uncomfortable but also clearly trying to be good sports. They were on a long off-again phase, possibly permanently. 

Julia caught Kady’s eye and they smiled at each other. Kady knew her best friend was sizing up the table just like she was. 

Alice reluctantly stood and leaned over to grab the bottle and spin.

With a clunk onto the thick glass table top, the empty square tequila bottle turned round a couple of times before slowly and stopping on- Kady. Alice’s eyes widened a little, but Kady thought the whole night was already a blast and wasn’t going to harsh on her buzz now. 

“All right, blondie,” Kady said, moving to where Alice was still standing. Kady brought a hand up to Alice’s face and kissed her, no tongue, but definitely more than a peck on the lips. A few “Whoo hoos” came from the kids in the pool who were partial spectators, as well as laughing and clapping encouragement from those at the table. Kady pulled away and went to sit back down- Alice kind of slumped into her seat, looking a little flushed in her cheeks. 

“Beautiful start,” Margo said. “My turn.” 

It went on like such, Margo kissing Todd, reluctantly and quickly; Eliot kissed Josh, then it was Kady’s turn to spin and she also got Todd. Then Josh spun Eliot- the table’s first second kiss.

Josh laughed a little nervously, and Eliot rolled his eyes, set down his drink, and sauntered over to Josh’s seat. He leaned over Josh and grabbed his face with both hands, kissing him hard enough to move the seat back a couple of inches. It was comedic, but up to Margo’s standards, and more whoops sounded from more people. Josh adjusted his glasses when it was over and straightened his shirt. 

“That wasn’t so bad for my first guy I guess,” Josh voiced goofily. “I suppose if I wanted it to be anyone it would be Eliot - he knows what he’s doing, you guys are all in for a treat if you get him.” 

Eliot raised his glass to Josh. 

“Thank you kind sir, it’s always nice to know my efforts are appreciated.”

Quentin got Fen, Julia got- the bottle landed between Josh and Kady. Josh put his hands up.

“Honestly, Kady if you could take this one I’m still recovering,” Josh said. She laughed and rolled her eyes, acting nonchalant as though  _ of course, it’s no biggie _ but on the inside her stomach dropped a bit and her heartbeat sped up. She looked over at Julia, but Julia was already out of her seat and moving over to her. _ Don’t think about it too much _ , Kady thought to herself.  _ For some...weird reason, you feel butterflies about kissing a friend. You’ve done it before with friends back home, be chill. This is just fun.  _

It felt like ages before Julia was next to her, but Kady turned her head up to look at her and their eyes met - Julia’s eyes were heavy somehow, not like before, not because of the alcohol. Kady felt herself gasp under her breath as her best friend leaned in over her, ever slowly, and their lips came together. 

Kady’s first thought was that Julia had very soft lips and  _ why hadn’t they ever done this before?  _ Before she could even have a second thought, Julia's lips parted slightly and moved with Kady’s. She gave into her kiss and reached up one hand to Julia’s neck, while Julia’s hands were keeping her steady and braced on the chair. If people were cheering them on, Kady didn’t notice. She brushed her tongue across Julia’s bottom lip and her friend eagerly opened for her. For a brief moment it was pure, drunken, adolescent ecstasy- until fucking Todd chimed in.

“Aren’t you supposed to do that on the second go, though?” he said, breaking the two girls out of their trance and Kady pulled away.

“Fuck off Todd,” Margo said. “That was some beautiful shit, let’s have everyone get on these ladies’ level, we’re still on round one.” She motioned to Fen to take her turn.

Julia stood up next to Kady’s chair and they looked into each other’s eyes for a fraction of a second. Julia gave Kady a little smirk with pursed lips, then brushed her hair back behind her ear as she turned and went back to her seat. Kady still had the hand up that was on her friend’s neck just second ago, but quickly snapped to and lowered it to the arm rest. _ So that’s how tonight is going to be. All right. _

Fen got Margot, and when she went around to kiss her, Margo stood up and pulled Fen’s body into hers, giving her a hard kiss and lip bite, releasing her with a smile. Fen seemed to like that. Todd kissed Quentin, Alice got Josh, and around it went again until everyone had kissed everyone else and they were just enjoying being horny teenagers at a party. 

“We need to make this into a drinking game,” Eliot spoke up as Alice was about to start another round. “This needs a little spice to the mix. One moment.”

He got up and went inside, quickly returning with a pitcher of something and a stack of plastic cups. Everyone got a cup and a pour. 

“That’s better,” he said as he settled back into his seat. Josh smelled the liquid in his cup.

“Good lord, what is this?” he asked, making a face suggesting that whatever the drink was it was a strong one. 

“A little of this, a little of that,” Eliot said. “Just drink it every time the bottle lands on you and be merry. Try not to think about it.”

The group cheers’d their cups and all took a sip, most of them making quite the face in response. But the game carried on. 

___

After another round or two, things got heated. Hormones were running higher than usual because,  _ duh _ , and more people had come outside to spectate, because teenagers. Margo LOVED it. Eliot probably did too, but he’d never let it show. That is until Quentin’s bottle landed on him, for a third pairing of the two of them.

Quentin breathed in a deep sigh, downed the rest of what was in his cup, and waltzed over to Eliot. He stopped for a moment while they looked each other up and down, then Eliot patted his lap for Quentin to sit. Quentin let out a quick, airy laugh and said, “What the hell,” throwing up his hands and straddling Eliot in his seat, the best he was able to on outdoor furniture. The backyard erupted in cheers from everyone still sober enough to be paying attention, and those who were drunk just cheered for the hell of it. Kady laughed and caught Julia’s eye across the table. 

Julia was looking straight at her, and - maybe subconsciously? - bit her bottom lip. _ Oh fuck _ , Kady thought.  _ What was that? _

She turned, distracted by Fen yelling “take his shirt off!” but quickly turn back to see Julia getting up and heading toward the house. Everyone at the table was starting to move around and mingle with the rest of the kids who came outside, and Margo declared Eliot and Q “winners” of the game. Kady saw Alice pouring herself another cup of whatever Eliot had brought out earlier, only to then watch Margo grab it from her, taking Alice’s hand and discreetly leading her into the house through a different back door. Kady laughed and had a feeling she knew what was happening there. _ Good for them. _

She glanced back to her friend at the back door, and Julia looked over her shoulder back at her. She subtly motioned with a head nod for Kady to follow her in, so the girl obliged. Obviously. She wasn’t sexually frustrated enough to need to stay out here for this nonsense, but she was intrigued by Julia. And that  _ kiss _ .

She joined Julia in the kitchen, grabbing a couple more waters, handing one to her friend. They silently opened the water bottles and drained the contents. They were, apparently,  _ quite  _ thirsty.

Julia took Kady’s bottle and tossed them in a recycle bin. She watched her as she opened the pantry, clearly knowing her way around. But any weird jealousy she had toward Julia disappeared when they locked eyes again, but this time it was different. Similar to when she kissed her. When they kissed. The moment was still replaying in her mind, still shocked it happened, and still completely okay with it. 

Julia took Kady’s hand in hers and she guided them out the front door, away from the house, back to her dad’s truck that was parked down the long driveway on the street.

“Oh, I guess we’re leaving then,” Kady said, a little confused. 

“Hell yeah we are,” Julia responded. As they approached the truck, still holding hands, Julia turned around and pulled Kady into her. Their mouths met again and they kissed into each other hard.  _ Oh thank GOD,  _ Kady thought. _ I’d already missed this.  _

She weaved one hand into her best friend’s hair, pulling the two of them together deeper, and backed Julia up into the door of the truck. They were breathing heavily, kissing messily, but in coordination with each other. They wanted these desperate kisses from each other. They broke apart to breathe for a moment and Julia pressed her forehead onto Kady’s, their noses touching, breathing in the same air.

“I want-,” Julia started, taking a deep breath to let her thoughts catch up.”I’ve wanted to do that...for a really long time. But especially the first time I saw you this summer, holy shit.” Kady laughed softly, and started kissing along Julia’s jawline. “I want more of you, Kady.”

Kady stopped kissing down Julia’s neck, pulling back to gaze at her. She brought her hand up to tuck her friend’s slightly messy hair behind her ear.

“Me too,” Kady said to her, looking between her eyes and lips, her other hand moved down to press into Julia’s lower back. She moved her hand lower, grabbing her backside, pulling Julia into her. Julia let out a gasp-like moan. “Jesus, Jules. You’re so beautiful right now. I mean,  _ always _ , but right now...Wow.”

She moved in and started kissing her again, slower than before, with purpose. They were still insanely desperate, but in those few words they established there was more to what was happening. They weren’t trying to hurry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, cute kiddos. We'll get back to adulthood next time. Thanks for enjoying this journey with me, your comments have been lovely <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for giving this a shot! Comment if you dig it, comment if you don't. But like, don't be a dick about it or anything. 
> 
> Cheers, I hope y'all return for more, because there's more coming.


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